Spaces: A peek inside the AIA tour

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Julius and Kathy Gribou were contemplating downsizing from their Monte Vista house when she accelerated their plans.

While he was out of the country, she sold their house — a surprise to him since it wasn’t even on the market.

At a party she mentioned to a real estate agent that they were considering moving. The next day that agent brought over clients who made an offer on the house. The sudden deal required an equally quick move.

Julius, an architect and founding dean of the University of Texas at San Antonio’s School of Architecture, and Kathy, a sales manager at Hotel Contessa, considered several downtown locations. They chose an unfinished two-story shell at the Camp Street Lofts, a 1926 factory building developed into a residential complex by Linda Pace, who bought the building in 2001. The couple rented the unit next door while their new home took shape in 2009.

The Gribous’ Southtown residence is one of seven homes on Saturday’s 15th Annual American Institute of Architects San Antonio Homes Tour.
Julius, now executive vice provost at UTSA, didn’t have the time or architectural office resources to manage the project himself. His desire for a collaborator with “the same mindset as far as design” led to Thom Robey and Alan Neff at Robey Architecture Inc.

“The idea was to marry the industrial quality with a very cutting edge, contemporary space,” Julius says of the layouts, concepts and ideas he turned over to Robey and Neff.

Cement floors, exposed brick and original columns retain the history of the building, which started out as a candy factory in the 1920s.

Getting the steel staircase into the residence was tricky. “If it was an inch bigger, it wouldn’t be here,” Julius notes. Half of the railing had to be cut off to move it inside.

The stairs are suspended along the wall of the open area of the home, comprising most of the first floor. The kitchen is in one corner. An island, with seating for four, separates it from a casual area. The living area and dining table are arranged in the rest of the room.

Julius wanted something bold to greet guests at the front door. The entry wall is painted red. Red also appears as an accent color in the kitchen. Tuscan yellow walls fill out the open space, a soft background for the couple’s paintings.

Art is a major component of the Gribous’ home. Paintings represent stops along Julius’s teaching career: Louisiana, College Station and San Antonio.

The design maximizes virtually every inch of the 2,200-square-foot home. At the top of the stairs, rather than have a hallway separate the master bedroom from a second bedroom and office, Julius created a television viewing area with plenty of storage space in a half-wall of cabinets.

Keeping with the industrial look, custom steel barnlike doors slide on a track in the second bedroom and office. Neff says openings were cut into the brick for the doorways, giving them the appearance that they had always been there.

Julius says the home fits the couple like a glove. Their loft has security, a manager and a yard that he doesn’t have to mow.

Kathy is just as appreciative, pointing out the low maintenance of their urban loft makes for “easy living.”

Chrissie Murnin is a San Antonio freelancer.

House Rules

The 15th Annual AIA San Antonio Homes Tour runs from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday. It’s a self-guided tour.
Tickets cost $25 in advance and are available at the Pearl Brewery at the AIA office and the Twig Bookstore and H-E-B Central Market at 4821 Broadway. On Saturday, tickets cost $30 and are available at the houses.
Just want to see one house? A $10 ticket is available at each house on Saturday.